Desert Feelings
by lunarstargazer
Summary: A False Betrayal" Sequel Hana Asukai has returned home and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. However, her dreams are still haunted by the years she ran in fear of her life, and a living reminder is about to come back to haunt her again
1. Chapter 1

Hana Asukai rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to find some comfortable spot on her bed so that she mig

Hana Asukai rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to find some comfortable spot on her bed so that she might fall asleep. It was unusually hot, making her task more difficult. She kicked off her blankets frustratingly, but it only grew hotter. Soon she was gasping for breath. Something was terribly wrong.

She opened her eyes and chilling fear instantly numbed the heat. Dark red eyes, vengeful and full of hate, glared down at her. There was a flash of steel. She could only stare up, mouth agape in horror as it the blade came down.

She screamed.

Someone was shaking her and she clung to him as though she might fall into some abysmal darkness if she let go.

"Hana! Sis, wake up! It's all right, it's me! It's all just a dream." Hiroshi: her brother's voice.

The scream died abruptly in her throat and she forced her eyes open. For a long time she only remained in her brother's reassuring arms, panting and drenched with sweat. Hiroshi was already fifteen and had matured into a strong young man in her absence. She could not remember how old she was. She stopped caring after the first year on the run. She knew she was about twenty and left it at that.

She was in her old room again in the small house her parents built in the forest by Genaki's Temple. It had been six months since she returned to this home after her fateful three years of outrunning revenge. Although she knew she would never see Hiei again, he still haunted her dreams as some kind of dark angel of vengeance.

She let out a slow shaky sigh, and looked up at Hiroshi's concerned face. She had been like this since her return: talking and screaming in her sleep in which she begged an unseen person - no doubt Hiei - not to kill her.

"Are you all right?" Hiroshi asked once she was quiet.

"I'm fine now," she mumbled, gently pushing him away. "I'm sorry I woke you...again."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're here."

He still remembered the day she returned to their home. She looked slightly battered and exhausted, but he recognized her instantly. He had run out to meet her and she collapsed in his embrace. He learned later that she had not slept or eaten in several days. She did not talk much the first several weeks and only recently had she begun to show signs of returning to her true self.

"I really am glad you're here."

He stroked her hair as if she was the younger sibling. Then his hand passed over a knotted scar which stretched diagonally across her scalp - more proof of her past ordeals. He stopped and his smile twisted into a frown. Sometimes he found scars like that which told of a close call he knew nothing of and she would never relate.

Realizing the cause of his expression, she moved away from his touch. "We should both get back to sleep," she said quietly.

"Hana...can't you tell me what happened to you?" he pleaded quietly.

Red eyes flashed again in her mind. She shuddered involuntarily. "I can't," she whispered.

"But Sis..."

"Hiroshi, please!" she shouted, surprising herself. Quieter, she added, "I just...can't. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm-"

"Shh!" she interrupted suddenly, holding a hand up.

"Hana, I'm trying to apolo-"

"Quiet!" she hissed. "There's something outside."

Hiroshi became alert at the words and soon he too heard the familiar sound. The forest, though usually dormant, was teeming with demon activity. Mostly all the inhabitants were content to keep to themselves, but every now and then one or more felt the need to raise some havoc for a few hours or days. A barrier protected the Asukai grounds from weaker demons that might get it into their heads to try to destroy it, but they never knew when a stronger one might go berserk.

Hana moved to her window and looked out. "It sounds almost like Keiji, but that can't be possible."

Hiroshi looked over shoulder outside as well. "That's what I thought, but he doesn't start trouble."

The siblings exchanged knowing glances.

Keiji, like the Asukai siblings, possessed an intellect which separated him from most of the demons in the forest that still functioned on animal-like instincts. He was known for squashing trouble, not causing it. Hana and Hiroshi had not heard or sensed any kind of uprising of the other forest inhabitants, so it meant only one thing: an unwanted intruder.

Hana's nightmare was completely erased from her mind. This was a familiar, almost reassuring, problem from her youth. "Get ready," she told her brother. "I'll meet you outside."

She changed from her night clothes into something she could fight in if the need arose (and she hoped she didn't - she never took her study of martial arts seriously). She grabbed her nunchaku from the top of her dresser, shoving it into her belt, and retrieved her naginata from beside her bed before racing out the door. Hiroshi was already outside with his katana drawn.

"Let's not be too hasty," she cautioned. "Keiji might have everything under control already."

He let the sword drop a few inches, but was still tense and on his guard. The sounds were getting louder, as though they were coming towards them, and Hana could feel her own muscles tense defensively. Then she saw an outline among the trees and she instantly recognized it.

"Keiji?" she called.

There was a pause, and then a rustling noise. The silhouette hesitated a moment at the edge of the Asukai barrier before crossing - it always left trespassers, no matter how powerful, slightly queasy. Then Keiji's tall, looming form came clearly into view. Unlike Hana and Hiroshi, who looked human (for the exception of vibrant hair and eyes), he was covered in red and black stripes. Fangs, pointed ears, a tail, a feline face, and cat eyes completed his tiger-like appearance.

"Young Hana, I am glad to see you have returned." Despite his courtesy, his voice, little more than a low growl, made him seem much more intimidating.

"I am glad to be back. What happened?" she asked.

"I have come to warn you. There are humans in the forest, and they speak your name." He spit out the words "human" as though it were a swear word.

"Humans?" Intruders were rare, but human intruders were inconceivable. "Why should you warn me? A human couldn't get passed our barrier; they aren't strong enough."

He shook his head. "These humans have strength. I believe one may even have some demon blood in him. I tried to force them out, but..."

Hana knew the connotations. These humans, combined at least, could overpower Keiji. However, she felt strangely unafraid. Curiosity prickled at her senses and she found herself strangely eager to see these humans.

"I hope you do not feel a need to stay and protect me, Keiji," Hana told him. "I do not wish you to risk your life for my sake. If you leave at any time, I will hold nothing against you."

"You are too kind, young Hana," the words came out almost as a purr, "but you know I could not allow the offspring of my good friend to ever come to harm." The good friend he referred to was their late father. "I will stay."

The corners of her mouth twitched up briefly but never formed into a true smile. She had not felt like smiling in three years.

"Thank you."

The grip on her naginata tightened. The three could hear voices: two males. She realized with slight amusement that it sounded as though they were arguing. They grew louder and she was certain they were arguing - and lost.

The two men, though they looked to be still teens, stumbled into the clearing by apparently sheer accident. Hana felt a tinge of surprise, for it seemed as if they did not even realize they passed a barrier at all. One was tall and stocky with beady eyes, curled orange hair and looked to be in his fair share of fights. His companion was shorter and thinner, had greased black hair, large brown eyes, and a haughty air about him.

They stopped at the edge of the clearing, surprised that the forest ended so slowly, and took in the three demons standing before them.

"It's you!" the taller one shouted, pointing, not to Hana, but to Keiji. Evidently he recognized him from whatever previous fight they were in.

"I am not easily ridden of," Keiji growled.

"You are trespassing on Asukai ground," Hana said in as loud and strong a voice she could muster. She pointed at them with the blade of her naginata. "Leave the same way you came."

They ignored the order. "Asukai?" the shorter one said. "All right, we made it! So are you Hana?"

"How do you know me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"So it is you! Great, let's go."

She took a step back, astounded by their audacity. "I'm not going anywhere with a pair of humans whose apparent intent was to steal me from my bed in the middle of the night."

"It was daylight when we started!" the taller defended.

"That won't change my stance. I will go no where with strangers."

"Fine! I'm a Yusuke Urameshi," the shorter one pointed his thumb towards himself, "and that's Kazuma Kuwabara. Now we ain't strangers. Let's go!"

"You have very flawed reasoning."

"Come on! We don't want to use force."

'Neither do I. So let's end this peacefully and go our separate ways."

She suddenly froze. A strangely familiar sensation crept up the back of her neck. She had the fearfully nostalgic impression that she was facing death or that some assassin was watching over her.

"Who are you working for?" she whispered.

"What?" Yusuke asked in surprise.

"You heard me!" she snapped, taking several steps back towards the door. "I won't go anywhere with you. I have told you already. Leave our family grounds, or else we will force you out."

Her body moved into a fighting position as though on its own accord and her expression darkens into a glare. The two demons along side her, sensing that she was willing to fight to stay and they move closer to her to protect her.

Kuwabara began to shift uneasily, looking awkward, but Yusuke did not react. He only looked annoyed.

"Look, you don't seem like a fighting type and I ain't in a fighting mood. Genkai just said to find the demon Hana Asukai in the forest and I have spent the past ten hours with this moron trying to do it! I'm tired and I'm hungry. Just do us a favor and come with us!"

Your weapon lowers a fraction. "Genkai?" she asked. She first met the old woman through Yukina while walking her back to the temple. "Genkai sent you?"

"You know her?" She nodded slowly. "Then you know we're not here to kill you or something."

"Don't trust them, Sis," Hiroshi muttered into her ear. "They're just trying to bait you. Everyone in this forest knows about Genkai; they must know that."

"You must listen to your brother," Keiji growled, though not bothering to lower his voice. "One cannot trust humans."

The two boys glared at him, but still made no movements. Hana was not ready to trust them completely, but she was willing to give them a chance.

"How long have you known Genkai?" she asked sharply.

"Too long."

"Then you should know the answer to this: a few years ago a young ice maiden was in her charge. What was her name?"

Yusuke looked surprised that Hana knew of her. "You mean Yukina? How do you know of her? She died over three years ago."

An expression of pain passed briefly across Kuwabara's face, but she did not pay much attention to it. "How well did you know...Y-Yukina?" She stuttered accidentally on her name.

The two did not understand the direction of the questions. "We were friends."

Several flashbacks poured into her mind of picnics and walks with Yukina. She disregarded the names of the humans when they attempted an introduction, but now she realized that she heard the names before.

"Of course...Yusuke and Kazuma..." she murmured beneath her breath. She lowered her weapon. Confused, Keiji and Hiroshi slowly followed suit. "All right. I believe you are who you say. I will come with you."

"What?!" her brother hissed into her ear.

"It's okay, Hiroshi," she said reassuringly. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, "And if they try anything, I know this forest better than them. It would be easy to lose them." She turned to face Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Let's leave now."

"Now? We're tired and it took us ten hours!"

"I don't see why. The walk is only four."

His mouth gaped open. "We wasted six hours!"

She shrugged. "And I don't particularly like wasting time."

Hiroshi put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going too."

The trip was made in silence, making the walk seem much longer than it really. All through the walk Hana felt a pair of watching eyes. She could not tell if the person behind the eyes meant to do her harm, but the thought chilled and she rubbed her arms constantly as though cold. Then her brother squeezed her shoulder. She looked up at him and he smiled encouragingly at her. She tried to return the gesture but could not and she only returned her gaze to the path ahead. There was a universal feeling of relief when they first saw the rooftops of the temple. Genkai was waiting for them.

The Asukai siblings bowed to the woman respectively. Although she liked her enough, she never felt comfortable under the woman's scrutiny; it was as though she knew everything of a person simply by looking at them.

"It is good to see you again, Genkai. It has been four years I believe."

She said nothing in reply for awhile. Then she suddenly seized Hana by the wrists and turned her hands over. Thin white lines crisscrossed them.

"Have you taken to catching swords by the blade?"

She flushed and pulled her hands away, hiding them behind her back like a child in trouble.

"Very well," Genkai said, shrugging. "We all have our secrets. It will be dawn in a few hours. You can rest up until then."

humans, but she felt unusually tired from the night's events. However, she was afraid that the nightmare was still lurking in her subconscious waiting to pounce upon her. She sat down and leaned against a wall, intending only to rest her eyes, and instantly dozed off.

She was woken by a man with long, red hair. He smiled at her once she opened her eyes. "Hello," he said politely. "I'm sorry to wake you, but I feared you may have been having a nightmare."

She rubbed her eyes and straightened up. "A nightmare?" He nodded. "It isn't impossible."

He stood and helped her to her feet. "You must be Hana, correct? I am Kurama."

She arched an eyebrow. "As in Yoko Kurama?"

"Perhaps in another life," he answered, his smile diminishing some. "Genkai is waiting."

There was no one new in the room as she and Kurama entered, but she once again felt that presence. She kneeled where Genkai indicated and waited for the reason she was brought there.

"Hana Asukai, I am asking you help these four men."

"Four? I have only encountered three."

"Our other companion is being, well, stubborn," Kurama states lightly. "He has only just reappeared after an entire three year absence and he has no choice other than to help. You will meet him soon."

"So what is it that you want me to help?"

"They need a guide through the Desert no Takai."

Instantly, she understood. Many people were lost to the Desert no Takai of Demon World. Hana was lucky enough to find, in her time of desperation, to discover its secret to surviving. She found refuge in it for several months where no one could find or get to her. Even so, it was impossible to live very long in the desert. The air was toxic, there were dune pits where people fell to their deaths in, and strange creatures that could easily kill anyone who did not understand how to deal with them. She wondered how Genkai knew.

"Why would you need to cross the desert? What's on the other side that you could get not get to through some other route?"

"It's not what's on the other side. It's what is in the middle."

"The oasis? It's a myth. In all my time in it I found nothing but a lot of black sand and funny-looking demons."

"It exists. We know it does."

She sighed. "Is there any chance I gain something from this?"

"I will give you and all the other demons in the forest exclusive and official rights to it."

Hana and Hiroshi exchanged glances. There had been a long-standing agreement that the forest belonged to the demons, but officially it was property of Genkai. Hiroshi gave her no inclination to disagree, though she could tell that if she accepted he would come along as well.

"Very well, I will do it."

"Very good." Genkai's gaze focused suddenly on something behind her guests and she smirked. "I see you have finally decided to show yourself. Hana, I believe you have already met the fourth member of this team."

Everyone looked at Hana in confusion, wondering how or when they would have met the fourth person. Confused as well, she turned slowly to see the new arrival behind her. She inhaled sharply in horror.

"Hiei..." she breathed.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything about him was frighteningly memorable: the red-eyed glare, the stance, the sword

Everything about him was frighteningly memorable: the red-eyed glare, the stance, the sword. Ever since she last saw him she wondered how she would react if she ever encountered him again, but she did not expect this. She could feel herself withdrawing deep inside to the same numbing emotional exhaustion that engulfed her the last time Hiei's sword touched her throat.

Hiroshi recognized him as well. An anger she never knew him to possess tensed ever muscle of his body. He swore beneath his breath and he took a step toward Hiei, with his hand gripping his own katana. Hana put her hand out to stop him from doing anything else.

"We meet again, my friend," she murmured, and the dullness of her voice surprised her somewhere in the corner of her mind. "It seems as though our paths will continue to meet until you have done what you swore to do."

Everyone looked between Hana and Hiei, some in utter bafflement and others as though waiting for something to happen. Hana was waiting for something as well: harsh words or even harsher actions, but Hiei only glared at her the same way he had the first day she met him. She remembered how he pinned her to a tree, she fought just to breathe, and Yukina begged him not to hurt her. The memory made her heart throb dully.

Then unexpectedly, Hiei turned and left, saying, "I won't go anywhere with that woman."

"Hiei!" someone behind her shouted, but she didn't know them well enough to know who.

His presence suddenly lifted from her mind. She let out the breath she was not aware she was holding and fell weakly to her knees. Hiroshi kneeled next to her, putting a hand questioningly on her shoulder.

"I'm all right," she mumbled. "I was surprised, that's all." She got slowly to her feet and turned towards Genkai. "I'm sorry, but you will have to find some one else. Hiei will never trust me again."

"Wait, I'm confused!" Kuwabara shouted. "You know Hiei?"

Hana nodded. "Enough to know where I live."

"He visited you?" Kurama asked, sounding only mildly surprised.

"I would rather say he accompanied one of my visitors." Hana said, and a sudden clarity of comprehension shone in Kurama's eyes.

"So he let us wander around lost half the day when he already knew the way?!" Yusuke exclaimed angrily.

"Yusuke was it? Some things are not that simple. I would not have gone with him."

"But you just called him your friend! I heard you!"

"Once he was my friend, although I doubt I was ever his. But he did trust me. And now...I'm sorry Genkai. I cannot do what you ask."

She began to walk away and her brother followed instantly after. Seeing Hiei was a shock she was not prepared for and she hoped she would not have to go through it again. Then Yusuke grabbed her arm.

"We need you!" he shouted.

"No amount of raising your voice is going to change what has happened between me and Hiei."

"What if I spoke to him?" Kurama suggested. "Maybe I could work something out."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure, but just give us a chance."

"What about your forest?" Genkai asked. Hana only shook her head. "What if I told you we are acting on the direct orders of Lord Koenma?"

She turned and looked at Genkai with a mixture of anger and surprise. "Is that how you plan on forcing me into this? Then I guess I have no choice."

They left for the Demon World the following week. She did not like being so close to Hiei after everything she endured because of him, but she never saw him the first several days. They had not yet reached the desert and the landscape was perfect for anyone who would not want to be seen.

Then it leveled off abruptly to the sandy black ocean of the Desert no Takai. The change was so sudden that everyone, except Hana, seemed slightly unnerved by it. She stared out across the interminable expanse. The last time she was here, she felt a strange sort of sanctuary no one else felt when encountering the "black sand of death." She doubted she would feel the same amount of restful peace in this trip.

She dropped her bag. "We'll stop here and start again in the morning. We can't stop often once we are crossing the desert: too deadly. Especially for humans."

"Is that an insult?" Kuwabara asked haughtily.

"Demons and humans are different. It's a fact. I am only telling you this for your own safety."

As she laid her blankets out on the ground, she caught her first glimpse of Hiei. In the darkness and shadows she saw only half his face and his red eyes before he was gone. Her heart stopped a moment and she froze as she stared at the space he was.

"What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked.

Hana shook her head and lied down. "It's nothing."

That night she had another dream, but it was more of a memory - a particularly horrendous day in her past three years that left her many scars both emotional and physical. Before the dream could finish, someone in the waking world grabbed her arm and shook it. Still immersed in the horrific fantasy, she sat bolt upright and a short but loud shriek burst from her mouth.

Two people, Hiroshi and Kurama, surrounded her. Perhaps it was just the lack of light, but she thought they all seemed extremely pale. She looked around for Yusuke and Kuwabara and found them at the edge of their little clearing, apparently trying to talk to, or yell at, someone.

"Are you all right, Hana?" Kurama asked, sounding genuinely concerned. She nodded slowly. "You were...talking in your sleep."

She looked at her brother, horror masking her face. "What was I saying?"

He seemed hesitant to answer. Slowly, he said, "You kept saying 'please don't kill me' over and over."

"Did I...did I say...the name?"

"I'm afraid so."

She looked over at Kurama, whom she had guessed by the way he talked that he had some sort of friendship with Hiei, and he said gently, "You were addressing Hiei."

Then she head Yusuke, who had raised his voice to a shout. He was demanding to a person outside the clearing, "What did you do to her?!"

"Please, leave it alone, Yusuke," she said, standing. "Don't fault him for a dream."

He turned to her. "But it happened, didn't it?" She could not say anything. "I knew it."

"He was just angry with me," she said quietly. "He's not bad, really. Come on, let's just all go back to sleep. There's a long day ahead of us."

After more coaxing everyone eventually went back to sleep, except Hana. Since Hiei had appeared in her life again the dreams have become more vivid and frequent and she was now afraid to fall asleep. Then she saw a familiar silhouette step into the clearing but still outside the light of their fire.

"I'm sorry, Hiei," she murmured. "You know I would do nothing to hurt you."

"I used to think so."

The trek through the desert was slower than Hana imagined it would be. The toxic air affected Yusuke and Kuwabara more than predicted, dulling their senses and reactions. Also, although she was perfectly fine in the desert and could dodge all dangers by instinct, the others could not and she had to stop and warn them of each oncoming hazard.

"How do you know where these dune pits are?" Kuwabara asked her once.

She shrugged. "I just know. I guess it is a sort of acquired instinct. It's not something you can pick out by sight. Wait, see this one right here?" She put a hand out to stop her small troupe and then stabbed at the dune in front of her with her naginata. With a loud roar it caved in on itself and fell into the deep chasm it covered. "Dune pit. Not all of them are as deep or big as this one, but any of them will cause injury if you get trapped in it, whether by the fall or the sand crushing you."

"Not a pleasant thought," Kurama said lightly.

"I know." She stopped, as though hearing something. "Everyone stay perfectly still and don't make a sound. You are about to encounter the demons of the desert."

They did as they were told. Then large, lizard-like creatures came scuttling out of the dune pit towards them. By habit, Hana held her breath. These demons, although also known for sharp claws and teeth, killed their victims simply by breathing a poisonous gas at them which melted flesh and incinerated lungs. One crawled up her leg and torso to her shoulder. She remained perfectly and still until it nuzzled her cheek curiously. Then, turning her head very slowly, she blew a puff of breath into its face. Stunned, it fell off her shoulder and to the ground. Scrambling back to its feet, it scampered and all the others followed.

Once they were out of sight, she relaxed her muscles and said, "You can move now, it's safe."

"What was that about?"

"They react to movement and sound, so if you don't move they won't kill you. And they move only in packs. If one runs, they all follow."

"But what did you do to make them run?"

"I just blew on them. Didn't you notice? There's no wind here. They're not used to it. Breathing on them hard enough will stun and scare them. Come on; let's go, but not that way: dune pit."

They spend only four days in the Desert no Takai before things started to get desperate. Kuwabara showed the first signs. It became almost impossible to wake him, his movements considerably slowed, and his breathing became labored. Hana knew they had to speed their pace and reach the fabled oasis as soon as possible, but maintaining just a normal pace proved harder each day. This was how the desert usually took its victims. First its air wore them down, and then they would make a crucial mistake as a result of it.

It nearly happened to Yusuke.

"Stop! That's a dune pit!" Hana shouted, running towards him. She couldn't tell whether he did not hear or could not react in time because of the toxins, but he did not stop. He placed one foot onto the dune and it began to collapse. Before he could be sucked into it, Hana pushed him with all her strength. He fell back safely, but her right leg was trapped in the sand slide. She cried out as hundreds of pounds of sand crashed down on and passed it. She felt herself being pulled into the pit and she clawed at the sandy ground, trying to keep above ground.

Then Hiroshi was next to her. He hooked one arm under hers and the other around her middle and pulled. The two siblings tumbled back. Hana's pant leg was ripped and the skin beneath was bloody. She felt it gingerly and a stabbing pain shot all the way up to her arms.

"I think it's broken," she said through gritted teeth.

"We have to wash it out and bandage it," Hiroshi said.

"No, it would just waste the rest of our water," she interceded. "We need to conserve it as much as possible."

"Fine, I'll just carry you."

"That will just slow us down."

"Any slower than if I let you walk on your own?"

She rolled her eyes, but was slightly amused. "Fine."

The incident made everyone more aware of their situation and no one else was almost lost to the pits. Hana was secretly glad she was being carried. Even attempting to move it caused her enough pain to make her wince. If it was not broken, then it was infected. She gripped Hiroshi's shoulders tighter and rested her head against his back. She had not slept in two days and she began to feel sleepy.

Sensing Hana begin to relax into sleep, Hiroshi jostled her slightly and she jumped awake. "You can't fall asleep just yet, Sis," he said. "We're lost without you." He turned his head as far as he could to look back at her and asked, "How are you holding out, all things considered?"

"Fairly well, I guess. But with...him here...I can't help feeling, I don't know, afraid all the time."

"Don't worry. I won't let him do anything to you."

"I know." She looked around at their fellow travelers. Even the demons, who had not yet felt the effects of the toxic air, were showing signs of weariness. "Let's rest here for now. Everyone could use it."

He nodded and called to the others. They stopped with an air of gratefulness. Hiroshi kneeled down and Hana eased to the ground using her good leg. The sand felt soft beneath the blanket she laid on and soon she was asleep.

Her dream was interrupted by actual pain. While the others slept in near perfect stillness, she tossed and turned once in the clutches of violent dreams. Demons had crept into their camp, attracted to Hana's fits, and began to scratch at her. She wanted to cry out and knock them away, and before she was fully awake she did, but once she had control of herself she forced herself to not make a sound and remain still as they thrashed at her. After a few moments they stopped, nudged their prey, wondered if it was dead, and moved on.

The others were awake, but knew that they could do nothing to help her - she was the veteran of the desert, not them - and rushed over to her once the lizard things were gone. Her shirt was in tatters and the skin beneath was clearly visible. Once Hiroshi was close enough to see her, he muttered an exclamation and took several steps back in horror. The new wounds were not deep - many had stopped bleeding almost as soon as they had begun - but that was not what his eyes, and everyone else's, was fixed on. An ugly red scar stretched the entire expanse of her back, completing her wretched trinity: head, hands, and back. She gained them all in one day - the same day she had dreamt about every time she closed her eyes ever since she saw Hiei again.

A young girl with bright purple hair and yellow eyes entered the small inn. She walked straight to the counter where a portly demon was wiping it down with a cloth dirtier than the counter. He looked up at the girl and smiled.

"What can I do you for?"

"I need a room."

"How much do you got?"

She pulled a few coins from her pocket. "I just need some place to hide."

The innkeeper arched an eyebrow at her. "Hide?"

She nodded, lowered her voice, and said, "Someone's trying to kill me."

A man burst through the door, wild-eyed and out of breath. There's some guy out there looking for some demon!" His eyes stopped on Hana and he pointed at her. "You! He's coming here for you!"

She turned towards the innkeeper, pleading to him with her eyes. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how I could help. The rooms are the first place he'd look."

"Please," she whispered. "It's my life."

He sighed again, grabbed her by the arm, and pushed her under the counter and out of sight just as the door burst open a second time.

"I'm looking for a girl with purple hair. I was told she's here."

"Ain't no one with that description come in."

"You're lying," the man's voice was low and angry. "She's in here somewhere. I can sense it."

Underneath the counter, her knees tucked up to her chin, Hana held her breath. Fear unlike she had never experienced before gripped her. He was not leaving. If he found her, she was dead. There was the sound of footsteps approaching her position and then the voice again.

"She's very close. Tell me where she is."

"I don't know who you are talking about."

The two men argued for a long time. She feared that merely the pounding of her heart would give her away. Then she felt cold steel and pain as a katana sliced through her scalp. Hiei, either by anger or knowledge of her position, had stabbed through the counter's thin wood. A few centimeters higher and he would have missed her completely. She clapped her hands over mouth to keep from screaming, her eyes wide with shock and pain. He pulled it out again, biting deeper into her - she thought that he might have scratched her skull - and she knew that if he didn't know she was there before, he would after seeing her blood on the blade.

She saw the keeper's hand suddenly before her eyes, pointing to the right. She took no time to hesitate. She darted out of the hiding spot and up the stairs. A long hall of doors was before her: the inn's rooms. She paused only a moment to think - she knew she was being chased. Then she threw open the first door on her left and dashed inside. The inhabitant was asleep, but she ignored him. On the other side of the room was a window which overlooked a back alley.

Just as she opened the window she hunched her back and screamed. Pain hotter than fire coursed through her back. She whipped around and came face to face with those terrible red eyes. His sword was pulled back for another attack, but she had no where to go and nothing to block with. With no other alternative, she grabbed the blade as he moved to thrust it through her chest. Blood dripped down her arms and she bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming again, but she was still alive.

Hiei's glare burned into her worse than the wounds. "I have waited a long time to do this." His voice was like venom.

"Please don't do this, Hiei," she whispered, her voice hoarse with agony. Her muscles strained and burned against his strength and she felt that her fingers would be sliced off at any moment. Blood dripped warm down her neck and forehead, into her eyes and obscuring her vision. "I didn't do. I didn't!"

"Don't insult me! You will die just as she did!"

"No, Hiei," her voice cracked. "Please, no." She could see his muscles tightening for a final attack. "NO!"

He thrust his sword forward and she screamed. Instead of being pierced through, Hana fell out the window. There was a sickening thud as she hit the ground. A few moments later Hiei leaned over the ledge and looked down. Hana was no where to be seen.

Several feet beneath the ground in the city's sewers, Hana could no longer move as she sobbed in pain, terror, and relief.


	3. Chapter 3

Something was dropped on Hana's head: a shirt

Something was dropped on Hana's head: a shirt. She looked up at her now bare-chested brother and although she could not smile in gratefulness it showed in her eyes as she slipped it on. It was baggy on her: more proof of how much her brother had grown while she hadn't at all.

On impulse she looked around for Hiei. He must have known what - or who - had caused such a scar and she wanted to see his reaction from seeing the results of his own actions. But he only wore his usual scowl and was not even looking at her.

"Since we're all awake," she heard herself saying, "we should keep going."

A hand reached down to help her up, but it wasn't Hiroshi's. She looked at the red-head in confusion as she accepted the hand.

Before her brother could take a step forward, Kurama said, "You've seemed tired the past few days, Hiroshi. Perhaps I should carry her for a stretch."

Hiroshi looked as confused as his sister. They suspected he was offering for some other reason than courtesy, though while it made Hiroshi wary, Hana's senses prickled with curiosity and she inclined her head very slightly to him.

Her brother sighed. "Very well."

Hey only traveled in silence a few moments before Kurama commented quietly, "You possess a tear gem."

He must have seen it through her torn clothing. She had attached it to a chain many years ago and wore it around her neck. "I do," was all she said.

"Yukina gave it to you?"

She hesitated. In truth she had just taken it after finding it beside the lifeless Yukina. It was all she had of hers.

"I suppose."

"You don't seem very sure about that."

She wondered how much she could tell him. He seemed trusting enough. "Yukina had...already died. It's her last tear."

His tone changed slightly. "How do you know that?"

"Hiroshi and I were...with her when she died."

"What?" The sharpness and surprise made her flinch.

She continued almost meekly. "I would have thought you knew that she died in our forest not far from our house. I had heard her scream so I had come running. She had only a few moments left by then."

The softness in his voice returned. "And Hiei?"

"He...arrived just in time to be under the impression that...I killed her."

"He actually thought so?"

"I think he still thinks so. The sight was...pretty incriminating. He thought I betrayed him."

"And that's why he disappeared for three years."

She nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Because he was after me...to kill me." She paused, then said earnestly, "But you must believe me, I would never have done anything to hurt Hiei or Yukina. They were my dearest friends." She sighed. "And I miss them."

"You love him, don't you?"

She jumped. "What?"

He shook his head. "Never mind."

It had been three weeks since they first entered the desert. Yusuke and Kuwabara were ghost-like as they trudged along and Kurama had started to feel effects a few days ago. Hana was beginning to feel it as well as a minor fatigue. They had already gone much farther into the desert than she had ever gone and hoped they were nearing then center. She knew it would not be long before Yusuke or Kuwabara fell asleep and never woke up.

"Stop," Hana said suddenly, slight dread tinting her voice.

"What's up?" Hiroshi asked, letting her down gently.

"We can't go this way. Look." She picked up a rock and threw it hard. A dune began to collapse, starting a chain reaction. Five other dunes caved in as well. Hana waited for the roar to die down then said, "It's a death trap, a mine field of dune pits. Navigating it will be impossible. Just one slip up and we're all done for." She leaned against Hiroshi. Her good leg was getting tired and her injured one was sending shooting pain all the way up to her shoulder. "We should find someway around."

"I think we should go straight through," Yusuke said, staring across the expanse.

She looked at him in surprise, wondering if this was another effect of the air. "Why?"

"I think the oasis is somewhere in there. Why else would everyone think it's a myth? I bet no one's made it beyond this point, and you said yesterday you thought we were close."

Hana did not want to risk her life for people she barely knew, but if everyone else agreed with Yusuke, she had no choice. "How does everyone else feel about this?"

"It seems logical," Kurama said. "I agree with Yusuke."

"Me too," Kuwabara agreed.

There was not a point to asking Hiroshi, everyone knew he would side with Hana, making it two against two.

"Your vote decides, Hiei," Kurama said, saying the words Hana couldn't bring herself to say.

"Forward," he grunted disdainfully.

Hana said nothing for a short stretch. She did not expect him to agree with her anyway. "Very well," she said quietly. "Let's rest for a few hours then get going."

The final stretch was the slowest. They walked in a single file line with Hana in front. It was too risky to be carried and simply instruct Hiroshi on the way to go. Any wrong step would have been fatal. She was certain now that her leg had been broken and was healing wrong with demonic speed. She had only one chance of making it the rest of the way.

"Stop, we need to stop," she gasped, dropping to her knees.

"What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked in deep concern.

"It's my leg. I can't go on like this." She looked up at the small group. "I need someone to reset the bone."

With little hesitation Kurama came forward and kneeled next to her. He felt the length of the leg then looked up at her. "I will have to break it again."

She nodded, bracing herself. Hiroshi was on her other side and she gripped his shoulder. With swiftness and efficiency that made her certain there was more beneath Kurama's kind and calm exterior, the bone snapped cleanly. She sucked in a breath, the threshold of pain too far surpassed to scream. Then with equal efficiency he set the bone and that time she did scream.

"We should give it some time to heal," Kurama said, "or else we will be doing this over again a few days from now."

Hana nodded gratefully. She was not ready to go anywhere. There was no way to set up a camp. Everyone simply lied down where they stood. It took awhile for Hana to fall asleep for the throbbing pain in her new break, but once she did it was a deep, dreamless sleep.

After that day they moved swifter as Hana began to heal and eventually could walk unassisted with only a minor limp. Then it happens so suddenly that everyone stopped in shock. Fresh air hit their face. Without realizing, Hana inhaled a deep grateful breath, soaking in the sight before her.

Trees sprouted from actual soil, not the black sand they had seen nothing but for weeks. The ground was soft and spongy against her shoes as though it had just rained. A spring of clear water was directly in the center and smelled sweeter than any water Hana had ever encountered. It was a small relief from the desert, like an island in a vast ocean.

"The oasis," she murmured. "We made it."

They rested for the rest of that day and the entire night. No one realized the brunt the desert had put on them until they were back in normal circumstances and everyone slept long and deep while they could.

They had come for a sample of the water, which slightly annoyed Hana. There was something different about it, but she would have rather not known that they had gone so far for some water.

She was sleeping when it happened. There was something about the oasis that gave her peaceful dreams of her parents, her brother, and Keiji. It was a typical dream of her childhood. Keiji had arrived to see her father but instead was roped into playing with her and Hiroshi.Then suddenly she was awake, alarm flooding her entire body.

Someone's hand was down her shirt.

For several moments she lied there motionless and eyes still closed, unsure of what to do. This hand did not have some kind of perverted groping intention, it was looking for something. Then its fingers closed around her tear gem and with a quick jerk it broke away from her neck.

She instantly leapt to her feet and lunged for it, but the person was much faster than her. Hiei held the gem by its chain, his glare as venomous as the day he shoved her out the inn window.

"You have no right to have this." His voice was a low growl.

"It's all I have of hers," Hana said anxiously. She held her hand out. "Please give it back."

Her shot at her a look of pure contempt then stuffed it into a pocket. As he turned she stepped forward and grabbed him by the arm.

"Hiei!" she called desperately.

He yanked his arm from her grasp. "Don't ever touch me."

He tried to walk away again, but she pursued him relentlessly. Yukina's tear gem was her most prized possession and she would not easily give it up to anyone. They had gone to the very edge of the oasis when Hiei turned angrily, drawing his katana. Hana stopped, taking a step back in trepidation.

"If you continue to follow me anymore I will finish what I had left off!"

"Not until you give the tear gem back," she said with unusual calm." She came closer, holding her hand out again.

With an agitated growl he slashed at her. She stumbled back then fell. Her back hit cold sand and she understood too late what had happened. The ground moved beneath her, swallowing her up.

She could not breathe for several terrifying moments. Then she was suddenly in a free fall. Everything was black, but she knew that the sand was falling with her and if the impact did not kill her the several tons of sand crushing and then suffocating her would. Then she hit icy cold water, knocking the breath from her. She struggled to get to the surface and as she did grit and sand fell on her. She swam, hoping to reach some kind of edge. When her outstretched hand touched land she gratefully dragged herself onto ground and promptly fainted.

Once she had woken her eyes had adjusted to the dark. She rubbed her head and looked around. It was still hard to see but she could see shapes and some details. Then her eyes rested on a person she knew immediately. He must have been pulled down with her.

"Hiei...?"

"It's your fault we are in this," he said.

She knew it was his fault. He had stolen her tear gem and then attacked her, causing her to fall. But she was tired and sore and didn't want to argue. Instead she took in her surroundings. On her right was the underground lake she had fallen into. It had the same sweet smell as the oasis spring and she assumed its water came from here. She considered swimming its distance and see if it would take her back to the spring, but she was not a good swimmer and the idea was too uncertain. On her right was a narrow tunnel and most likely her best bet of getting out. There was no chance of getting out the way she came - dunes pits often concealed themselves again after several hours. Standing, she brushed off her clothes, dried stiff, and headed for the tunnel.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hiei said sharply.

She suddenly felt annoyed. "I'm not going to stay here to rot and I don't need your permission to do it."

Keeping her hand against the dirt wall, for she could tell no light would penetrate here, she began the walk. After only a several dozen steps she was plunged in complete darkness and touch is her only guide. The wall made an abrupt right turn. The path split into two directions. She stopped in hesitation and someone bumped into her back. She jumped, but once she realized what happened she wanted almost to laugh.

"You shouldn't follow a person so closely," she said, feeling a smirk tug at her mouth.

His only response was a sound of annoyance and he pushed past her to go ahead. She couldn't see it, but she heard his footsteps turn to the left. She took more time to pick her path. Eventually she also chose the left way.

The silence and darkness was eerie and she almost wished that Hiei was tailing her again for the small reassurance that she was not completely alone in the world. Only once did she stumble on the path, but felt chilled to the soul to realize that the thing she tripped over was a skeleton.

"At least I'm getting further than you," she mumbled.

She could not tell how long she had been walking or how far she had gone, but it felt like days and miles. She stopped, another chill filling her. She could hear steps other than hers. At first she thought that she may have caught up to Hiei, but the steps were coming towards her. She pushed herself against the wall and held her breath, hoping the person would pass her without noticing. Once she felt it was safe she let her breath out in a heavy sigh. Then someone grabbed her arm. She shrieked before reacting and tried to jerk her arm away. A hand pressed against her mouth.

"Stop that infernal racket!" a familiar voice hissed.

She stepped away from him. "What are you doing?"

"Dead end," was the only answer he gave before walking away once again.

With little hesitation she followed him. For the first time in years his presence was a reassurance to her and she stayed close to him. They passed the skeleton again and she wondered how long that person had wandered in these tunnels before giving up where he lied. Eventually Hana felt the same way and without a word dropped to the ground, longing to sleep forever. She hadn't eaten, drank, or slept in a long time. There was only the darkness, the floor beneath her, the walls around her, and the maddening sound of step after step and it had gotten to her. She just didn't want to go through it anymore.

The silence told her that Hiei had also stopped walking. "Why haven't you killed me yet?" she asked suddenly. "You finally have me alone. You could do what you have wanted to do for the past three and a half years."

He didn't answer. "Do not presume to think I will wait for you."

"Then go," she said tiredly, waving him off with an invisible hand. "I don't care anymore." She rolled over, pillowing her head in her arms. "I've been escaping death for three and a half years. Maybe it's time I run at it full speed."

"That's weak thinking."

"Well we're not all as strong as you," she snapped sarcastically. "Just leave me to that eternal sleep. You can go on living your life knowing I died cold, tired, and alone and maybe then you can finally forgive me and move on. So just go! I don't care anymore." She really was cold – she had been shivering for a long time - and began to curl up to stay warm. "Could you kill me before you go?" she asked quietly. "Just kill me please."

There was nothing for awhile and she wondered if she was too numb to realize he had walked away. Then she felt a hand grab her wrist and she wondered bleakly if he really was going to kill her. Then he pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked, resisting the gesture.

"I can't stand pointless babble like yours." It wasn't an explanation, but he refused to say any more.

She felt like a sort of prisoner. She had to keep moving because Hiei's hand was on her back, pushing her forward. Whenever she tried to stop he only pushed harder. How long they walked she still didn't know but each step was like agony and she felt as though she was moving in a sort of dream-like delirium. In the end she just collapsed.

"Why must you always torture me like this?!" she cried. "You stalked me in my life, haunted me in my dreams, and now this death march! What have I done to you? All I ever did was be your friend!"

Hiei seized her by the shoulders and shook her slightly. He seemed to waiting for this moment of ultimate weakness.

"What happened to Yukina?" his voice was soft, but still as firm and commanding as ever.

"I don't know!" she yelled. "I wasn't even there!" Her voice began to choke. "I just heard her scream. When I finally got to her I thought she was already dead. Then she called out my name..." She wasn't sure if it was the memory, or their current situation, but she felt tears start to spill down her face and she was glad that Hiei couldn't see her. "Why should I bother to tell you the rest? You never believed me before. I have the scars to prove it." She rubbed her eyes as more tears fell. "I loved you and Yukina so much! Why was I punished for it?!"

She broke his grip, pushed him away, and stood, her head swimming momentarily from the exertion. She didn't know where she planned on going, but she did not care. She just started walking.

"Stay away from me, Hiei!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Stay out of my life and out of my dreams!"

Only was she sure that she was safely away from Hiei did she let her steps begin to falter. Soon she had no more strength to move, hollow with hunger and weak with exhaustion. She was drifting to sleep, wondering if she could gather the strength to find a way out once she woke or she would ever wake. How Hiei still managed to go like he did was a complete mystery.

She was not sure if she was awake or sleeping or if her eyes were opened or closed. Her body was numb and she had the sensation that she was floating. She knew for some time that she was terribly sick, and she though that this was just some feverish state of mind. It took a long time to realize that she was moving forward, but her feet were still.

"Why are you doing this?" she mumbled. Her voice sounded real enough. Perhaps she was awake.

"You're delusional," he said, giving no explanation.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"You don't want to die." Once again, it was not an explanation, but he never seemed to explain anything.

She was too feverish to argue, and she could feel herself losing consciousness again. An unwarranted feeling of relief was spreading through her and she hugged him tightly around the neck. He stopped in undoubted surprise.

"Thank you," she murmured.

When she woke again sunlight burned her eyes, blurring her vision, but she knew instantly she was back in the oasis. A hazy face swam before her. She blinked several times and it focused into Hiroshi's visage. He grinned at her and pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay! When you disappeared we feared the worse. And then you came back so sick..."

"What happened?" she asked groggily. "How did I get back here?"

"That's not important," he said vaguely. He touched his hand to her forehead. "Your fever finally broke. How do you feel?"

"Fine," she mumbled. She had a feeling that whatever did happen, Hiei threatened them to stay silent. She was not concerned much with it anyway. She brought her arms around him and sighed contentedly. "I'm ready to go home."

It has been several months since the Asukai twins returned to their home. Hana has never had another nightmare. She still goes to Genkai's Temple to see the friends she made those several weeks in the Desert no Takai, just as they sometimes come to her home. She never sees Hiei, though Kurama assures her that he has not disappeared and making final amends with her will be a long, patient process. Hana doesn't mind, knowing she has a long life ahead of her anyway. She can wait, for he had given her some hope:

She had woken in the middle of the night. She couldn't tell what had woken her. At first she thought it was a noise, but then she felt as though something was amiss. She sat up and looked around. Something caught the moonlight and glimmered on her dresser, something not there before. She stood and slowly walked over. When she what it was she wanted to laugh and cry all at once.

Her tear gem.

She grasped it tightly with both hands and smiled to herself. "Thank you, Hiei," she whispered. "Thank you."


End file.
